Larson Family Winery

The heritage and history of where the winery now sits, dates back to the 19th century. What is now Larson Family Winery, was once the Embarcadero of Sonoma. This was the farthest navigable point up Sonoma Creek from the San Francisco Bay and served as the gateway to the bustling Sonoma Valley. European visitors traveled through here as early as 1823. Passengers and freight bound for Sonoma transferred here from sloops and schooners to horse-drawn carriages and wagons for rides to the Plaza, what is now down town Sonoma. Beginning in 1847, steamboats docked here and turned around for their voyage back to San Francisco. It was a steamboat captain who built “A Captains House” , the Civil-War era farm-house that still stands today on the winery property. Tom Larson’s great-grandfather, Michael Millerick, bought the house and 101 acres of land in 1899. The land would eventually be called Millerick Ranch. From 1929 to the early 1950′s the Sonoma Rodeo was held at Millerick Ranch, which is now Larson Family Winery. The Sonoma Rodeo was the largest and longest-running rodeo in the Bay Area. It was the event of the year in Sonoma. Crowds of 8,000 people filled the grand stands at Millerick Ranch to watch the rodeo. Each year, the rodeo would start with a trail-drive down the highway and into the arena would come a string of 50 bucking horses all carrying the Millerick's famous circle M brand. World champion and hall of fame cowboys competed in the Sonoma Rodeo.